Speakers at a presentation on technology will raise questions about the amount of time children and adults spend in front of screens each day.
Elad Milman of the Oliver-based organization, Children for a Better Future, said children and youths spend an average of 8½ hours a day in front of screens. For adults, that figure rises to 10½ hours a day.
This much screen time can have a significant effect on people, physically and socially, Milman said.
“The quality of connections found online is not a replacement for our real-life connections,” he said, adding that too much screen time can lead to anxiety and depression.
However, he does not suggest a complete disconnect from screens or online interaction.
“When is it useful for us to use our electronic gadgets, and when does it become harmful or ineffective?” he asks.
He said studies have been conducted into the effects of screen time. These studies, conducted over the past 30 to 40 years, show the importance of face-to-face interactions on health. One of the benefits is a reduction in plaque in the blood vessels of people who have good face-to-face connections with others.
Milman and his wife Gloria Bucil will hold the presentation, Reconnecting: Keeping Human Connection in a Technological Era, on Thursday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Kiwanis Lodge, 10912, Quinpool Rd., Summerland.
The presentation is supported by the Summerland Kiwanis Club.